Percy Jackson and the Last Airbender
by Oblvionxx
Summary: A mysterious force is at it again and Percy and his friends have been whisked away into another world for reasons unknown. A world in which a terrible war wages on between the nations... a battle of four elements... and its up to one twelve year old boy to restore the balance within the world. Percy, Annabeth and Leo join the Avatar and his team in order to defeat the Firelord.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; I don't (unfortunately) own any of the characters in this fic.**_  
><em>

**If I did Percy Jackson would have never ended. If I did there would have been a whole lot more of Zutara. If i did Leo Valdez would have been the king of the world. if i did-**

**yeah you get the point. **

**Before you judge, I haven't read Blood of Olympus yet, so pardon me if some of the characters are OOC. **

**This is before Sozin's Comet, and after Zuko joined the Gaang. **

**Also, THERE IS NO PIPER!yes yes...You can thank me later. **

**Read review Fave and Follow. **

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><p><em>What if we went to college? <em>

She wished she had gone to college.

_We can settle down here._

She wished she had stayed back and settled down.

_I lost you once; I am not losing you again._

He hadn't lost her, but she felt like she was losing herself.

How had they got here? Who sent them here? What were they doing here?

Or more importantly; why the hell were there a bunch of fire blasting morons on their trail?!

_I swear to the gods_, Annabeth fumed, _I did NOT sign up for this._

Her feet moved fast, leaping over rocks and roots that spread across the forests ferny floor. Her heart thudded loudly in her throat, so loudly that she almost thought it was the sound that was leading the fiery men towards them.

"Annabeth!" Jason Grace yelled out.

Great, she was lagging behind. She picked up her speed, panting heavily as she followed closely behind the son of Zeus. There was a distant _whoosh_ and Annabeth felt warmth hit the nape of her neck. A gasp escaped from between her parted lips as she stumbled forward. It was like no flame she had ever encountered before, not even Leo Valdez could wield such fire. The distance it covered and the deep warmth in brought. _These guys move fast_, she thought to herself as she tore through the forest. Jason whacked at the leaves in front of the two, his celestial bronze sword easily dissecting the green ferns. Annabeth's fingers closed around the hilt of her dagger as she felt another blast of warmth scorch the leaves behind.

"Hurry Jason," she gasped.

The new and unknown atmosphere of the strange world she'd been zapped into was tiring her down, weakening her usually alert and attentive self. The forest seemed to stretch on for forever and there seemed like there was no way to outrun the fire wielding enemy. Annabeth lifted her head, her eyes locking on to the figure in front of Jason.

_You're not making this easy for me! _

Annabeth watched Percy leap over a root and stumble a bit, a sure sign that the demigod's energy too was dropping. She felt a tug at her heart as Percy grabbed the young curly haired boy's hand and urged him to run faster.

_It will never, ever be easy for us._

Not as long as they were demigods; two of the most powerful, well known demigods constantly hunted down by demons, demigods, giants, Titans and anything in between. Not as long as he was Percy- freaking- Jackson and she was Annabeth Chase.

The Heroes of Olympus.

Far too caught up in her own thoughts, Annabeth crashed against a steel wall. What the hell? She fumed, rubbing her little red nose. _Oh right,_ she sighed, _it's just Grace_. She glanced back, her grey orbs searching for the wretched army of fire people.

"Grace, let's move," she said, shoving his purple clad chest.

Jason's arms gripped her shoulders, his fingers clutching her like the claws of a steel crow. Annabeth's face twisted in confusion as Jason shoved her behind him.

"Gra-"

"Annabeth, go. Run and don't stop... for anything," he cut her off. "Find someplace safe and find out how to get the hell out of here."

"Grace-"

"Leave! NOW," Jason yelled, shoving her forward.

"Jason!" Annabeth yelled as she fell down and landed on the cold and wet soil.

A crackle lit up the sky as sharp lines of lightning tore through the pink and orange. The army of fire wielders faltered as Jason's feet slowly left the ground. The crackling lines of lightning connected with the tips of the floating demigod's fingers. Annabeth felt a pair of hands haul her off the floor and she pushed herself backwards so she her back hit Percy's warm and familiar chest. Percy's arms circled around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Jason!" Leo's voice broke Annabeth out of her trance.

The son of Zeus turned to face his friend, tears staining his cheeks. They had only known each together for a little while, but Jason and Leo were like glue. They didn't need years and years to become inseparable. Yes they had there differences but they had the kind of bond that chose to look over those differences. And right now, as Jason hovered in the air, lightning crackling around him as Leo stood way down below, looking up at his friend with tears stinging his eyes- Annabeth knew that all those fights and disputes the demigod friends had dint matter.

What mattered was now. This moment. Tears threatened to spill, but the daughter of Athena forced them back. Not today, she told herself, no way in taturus am I going to cry today.

She had faced the titan god Kronos, a Cyclops, a giant spider, taturus himself and that was only the beginning. There was no where Annabeth was going to shed a single tear here.

"Go now Leo, I'll hold them back," Jason yelled over the sound of booming thunder.

"No!' Percy exclaimed, like the stubborn child he was. "I want to stay and help!"

"There's no water here!" Jason replied, looking out for the enemy. "Take the others and go! Now! And Percy, if this goes wrong... come get me."

Annabeth felt her boyfriend nod. For once Percy was rational, he knew this had to be done. That one of them had to stay behind. Call her selfish, but Annabeth was secretly happy that it wasn't Percy. She couldn't lose him again.

"And if you can't,' Jason said, his voice strained and full of pain. "Get that shit who sent us here and beat the living hell out of them."

Annabeth felt Percy press his soft lips to her forehead. The army approached, still held back by the lightning bolts that struck the grass tufts near their feet. But they were getting close.

"Come on Seaweed brain," Annabeth forced. "No time for PDA."

And with that they resumed running, her fingers laced with Percy's as they dashed through the never ending forest, getting further and further away from Jason. And with each step they took Annabeth saw Leo getting closer and closer to breaking down, his usually cheeky and happy go lucky demeanor shattered. It was only the four of them, Leo, Jason, Percy and herself. None of them knew why they were here, or how they had got here, or how Jason had come all the way from visiting Camp Jupiter to this unknown land and right beside them.

Annabeth remembered waking up in the middle of the forest, waking up to Percy's distraught voice urging her to get up and run.

She looked at Percy, his forehead creased with worry lines, sweat trickling down his cheeks. They were so close to having a life back in Long Island, so close to just giving the fights and wars up.

So close, but now so far.

The trees touched the sky with the tips of their branches and the steel clouds slowly parted, revealing a silver moon. The great white disk reminded Annabeth of Thalia, who in return reminded her of Camp Half-blood, their home they had left behind.

Her senses snapped back to her. She was the daughter of Athena. War was her home ground, war was where she belonged. The sound of crackling grew distant and the thunder ceased. Leo's face instantly darkened. She knew why: silence was never good.

That day, while running through the forests thick green folds, Annabeth vowed to find the shits who sent them here and beat the living hell out of them.

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><p>"<em>Percy?" she yelled, "Percy were are you?"<em>

_**Percy? Percy Jackson?**_

_Annabeth ignored the booming voice, "PERCY?"_

_**Percy Jackson is not here.**_

"_What?" she yelled again, looking around and squinting into the darkness, where there was nothing for a fifty k radius. _

_**Percy Jackson is gone.**_

"_Gone?" Annabeth's voice broke, "Gone where?"_

_**No where. And everywhere. You are the daughter of the mighty Athena; you cannot afford to have such distractions. **_

_Distractions? Annabeth ran forwards into the darkness that wrapped around her like a heavy blanket, slowing her down. She pushed on, forcing her feet to carry her onwards. She HAD to get to Percy. She needed him. She needed him to hold her. She needed his familiarity. She knew him, like the back of her hand. She had memorized his face, just like she memorized all those scrolls that lay open and sprawled across her cabin bed at home. She trusted him, like she trusted her dagger to hit the target after she let it out of her warrior's grip. _

_She also loved him. There was nothing to compare that to. _

_She fell to her knees, unable to take the immense weight of the nothingness that surrounded her. Her chest tightened and her breathing grew slower and labored. The air thinned around her, making it hard to breathe. _

_She wanted to rewind back to the time when the Percy showed her camp Jupiter, when he had asked her to stay with him. To settle down with him. _

"_Percy?" this time it was just a whisper. _

_The word echoed, ringing in her ears till it was no longer her voice but a voice of a greatly known foe to the children of Athena. _

"_Percy," Arachne taunted._

_**PERCY JACKSON IS NOT HERE.**_

_What do you mean he's not here? She wanted to yell. Who was this, this voice was cut through the darkness and played with her like a yarn doll? To who, in the god's names, did this voice belong to? _

_**Percy Jackson, daughter of Athena, has left.**_

_He left. He's not here. He left me, again. He's gone…..again. Percy would never to that, she reassured herself, Percy would never do that to you._

_**Are you sure? Look around you, is he there?**_

'_There is no one there you idiot!" Annabeth screamed, tears streaming down her reddened cheeks and burning them._

_**Exactly.**_

_One word. It only took one word to break her. Annabeth clutched her face in her hands and sobbed. Her chest heaved up and down as she collapsed to the clod dark floor and sobbed. Arachne's voice still hung like an unwanted cobweb, "Percy."_

"_Percy?" she called out once more, hoping for an answer but was greeted with silence. _

_Another nerve wreaking sob sounded and Annabeth clutched herself as it grew colder and colder. _

_He's not here; she remembered the unknown voice tease and taunt._

_It was like waving a red flag in front of a caged bull; only in this case, the bull broke down into pitiful sobs. _

"_Percy?" she called out once more, waiting for an answer and received the almost inaudible words._

_But she heard them as they drifted through the darkness._

"_Do you want to go penguin sledding?"_

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><p><strong>Hello.<strong>

**So this is my first ever story, excluding the story I'm writing with my sister, Fractal-Velocity.**

**go read it? I guess...**

**It's an avengers fic, so if any of you are Marvel geeks then go read it. **

**It's called Avengers: Rise of the All Father. **

***ohhhhh* *ahhhhhh* *Darwin sounds***

**And go read Fractal- Velocity's fics. **

**Even if you hate Elsa...which she does...**

**Review if you feel like it. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer; I do not own these characters.**

**Note; I have tweaked the story here and there to suit me. Like the only people in the Gaang are Sokka, Katara, Aang, Zuko and Toph ATM.**

**Also I haven't read Blood of Olympus yet, just a reminder. **

**And to all those who ship Kataang...(you guys are weird), I don't. So prepare to see a whole lot of anything BUT Kataang. *runs away before you can kill me***

**Reviews, faves and follows are appreciated.**

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><p>"Do you want to go penguin sledding?"<p>

Aang felt someone whack him on the back of his head. Wincing as he rubbed the sore spot, he slowly turned around meet the face of a glaring Katara.

"Aang! Are you crazy? You can't just go around asking strangers whether they want to go penguin sledding! What if they're hostile?" She snapped.

"But you guys were strangers when we first met. And I asked _you guys_ to take me penguin sledding," the twelve year old pointed out.

"That's different," Katara audibly sighed.

"Why is it different?"

Katara paused. Was it just her or was Aang getting… _wiser_. She could barely bring herself to believe it, but it seemed to be true. Aang was maturing fast to the realities in the world around him, and even though he wasn't the boy from the iceberg, he still was mostly himself. Nothing could deter his passion for riding animals and basically doing childish things. But Katara could feel it. Deep amongst the naïveté and the pure innocence, Aang was growing up.

A groaning sound deterred her from her thoughts and she turned to look at the groggy blond at her feet.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Katara seethed, without waiting for the girl to fully awaken.

The golden haired stranger rubbed her forehead. All the others around her were asleep, all of them in the same strange orange top and blue pants.

"I could ask you the same thing," the risen stranger said warily, eyeing Aang suspiciously.

_They've come for the Avatar_! Katara gasped in her mind.

Reaching forward, she pulled Aang behind her protectively. Her hand shot out to her right and water rose in the form of whips. The whips hovered by water bender's hands as she adopted a fighting stance. It was almost second nature to her, to stand crouching slightly, arms outstretched and senses alert more than ever. Being on the run for what felt like a thousand years had made Katara a weapon worth fearing in war.

"Katara," she heard the Avatar whisper in warning to her.

The Avatar had grown so much since she found him curled up in a ball of 100 year old ice. Yes, he was still only twelve but mentally he had grown and matured. He was wise now; but at the same time he was still his usual playful self. Katara felt her heart swell in pride. He was ready now. He was ready to take on the world as the Avatar. At least she hoped so. All he needed was that fire training….which _Sifu Zuko_ seemed to be postponing.

Katara heard the sound of breaking twigs and leaves being shuffled and her head shot up as she got pulled out of her thoughts. Near the now standing blonde girl was a boy who looked about the same age as Zuko. His black windswept hair fell in front of his face, slightly covering his bright green orbs that looked as if they were sparkling with worry and grief. He was tall, lean, not so much the body of a warrior but still fit. He was taller than the girl, but not by much. By the way he stood behind her and the way his body sort of leaned towards the girl: Katara knew that the two were acquainted in, if not a strong friendship, then something more.

"Hey," the boy spoke, his voice almost familiar. "We come in peace."

The unnamed boy's voice reminded Katara of the sea, for some strange and peculiar reason that the water bender couldn't put her finger on. Memories flooded back to her; waves crashing against the glaciers, Water benders of the southern tribe moved over the sea using their skills and abilities to walk on the water, the grinning faces of the family and friends she's left behind. Shaking her head she forcefully dragged herself out of memories and focused on the problem at hand.

She had Sokka, Aang and Toph...that was all the family she needed.

_And now Suki and Zuko as well, _Katara thought bitterly.

"And how do we know that?" Katara heard the Avatar inquire.

"Um, well, I'm a son of Poseidon too," the boy explained.

"Son of Pos-who-den?"

"Poseidon," the blonde snapped at Aang. "Just like your girlfriend over there."

"My father's name is_ not_ Poseidon," Katara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"KATARA'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" the twelve year old boy shrieked, going red in the face.

_Why are we having small talk with the enemy?_ She thought. _We should just kill them off and go wake the others. We're already behind on the training schedule._

"You controlled the water, yeah? So I'm guessing you've got to be-,'

"You've got the wrong people," Katara hissed, her water whips rising as she regained her warrior's stance. "Leave. Now."

The other boy stirred in his slumber, and all eyes snapped to him. His brown hair was a mess and his orange clothing was torn in many different places.

"What are you wearing?" Katara whispered, mostly to herself.

"A t-shirt and-"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Katara cut the blonde's sentence and waved her hands about. "Just go away."

"Okay, okay. Calm down. We didn't realize anyone was here," the boy held up his hands in surrender. "We were just running and-"

"Running?" Katara frowned.

_Who ran around on top of an air temple in the middle of the night? God these people get stranger and stranger by the minute?_

"Yes, as I was about to say, we were **running** from some army of fire people and then our friend stayed back to hold them back and-"

"Percy," the blonde hissed, nudging the boy. "No need to tell them our life story."

"No," Katara's water whip slashed through the air in warning. "Let him finish."

"Yeah….okay, as I was saying, our friend stayed back to hold them, blah blah blah, big fight. A lot of lightning, more running. We ran. And ran. More running. And then BOOM, we passed out here," the boy nodded, looking content with the way he had worded his story.

"Was that good? I said it the best I could," the boy smiled, waiting for the water bender and her friend to answer.

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Could have held back on the _blahs_ though," Aang commented.

"You're right," the boy sighed in defeat. "I'm still working on that. Usually I leave the story telling to Annie here, but she's a little out of her game."

At that he gestured to the blonde warrior who's adopted stance was much like Katara's, but more aggressive. She looked ready for some seriously damaging hand to hand come back whereas Katara looked ready to kill some one…from afar….with water whips.

"Or maybe she's too in to her game," the boy mused. "Annabeth usually doesn't talk much when she's too into her game."

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

The boy simply nodded, sucking his lips inward. Aang cocked his head to a side in amusement. These two creatures were interesting. Dangerous maybe, but still interesting. Even the girl, who just stood there with a calculating glare. Aang smiled.

"You talk in your sleep," he said accidentally, giving in to the urge of making friends.

And it was true. The blonde had been tossing and turning uncomfortably when they'd found them.

The girl's mouth fell open and quickly shut, her cheeks flaming red in embarrassment. The boy shot her a look that said, _we shall discuss this and I shall hold this against you._ Beside the amused air bender, Katara cleared her throat.

"Fire people?" she asked, slowly realizing that they were referring to Fire nation Soldiers. "Here in the woods?"

The boy and his companion simply nodded, as if recalling the unpleasant memory of running….in the middle of the night around the air temples.

"What were they doing here in the middle of the night?" Katara faced Aang, who simply shrugged.

"Actually, it was more like the evening."

Katara ignored the black haired _Son of Poseidon_ as her thought spiraled down to an ugly and unpleasant conclusion.

"Zuko alerted them,' she said, her tone a menacing one.

"Katara that's-"

"Aang, think about it. He's the Prince of the Fire nation. I don't know why we even trusted him in the first place!"

"We didn't really trust him at first," Aang pointed out. "We just decided that I needed a Fire bending trainer and he was better than nothing."

Katara sighed, now she'd have to go face the wrath of the Fire Prince while trying to figure out a way to ship him out of the Air Temples. Great. This was really turning out to be a splendid day. Time to get this over with and start accusing _Sifu Hotman_.

Water whipped through the air as Katara fiercely moved her hands, her eyes forming slits. She threw her hands forward and the whips extended, the water stretching out as she aimed at the two intruders. But instead of slashing at their pretty little faces, the water just stayed there, a few inches away from forming scars on their bodies.

Katara gasped.

The water rose, particles separating till they hung in the air as individual bubbles. As they lifted up in to the sky, Katara saw the boy with his arms outstretched upwards, almost as if he was holding up the bubbles. He moved his hands and the bubbles clashed together forming a sheet of water. Katara, too caught up in a trance, didn't notice the boy pull his hands down till it was too late. The water crashed down on the Avatar and his older friend with so much force that it sent them crashing to the floor.

"Leo," the boy said in a commanding tone, as if now realizing there was no scope for hospitality here. "Get up. We're leaving."

The lanky boy with brown curly hair got up wearily, rubbing his eyes and made to follow his friends.

"You…you're a water bender," Katara said so softly that it was almost inaudible.

The Avatar bedside her however, was not at all fazed by the strangers display of water control.

"Katara!" he squealed. "They're just like you! They must be from the Northern tribe!"

"Dressed like _that_?" the girl in question asked, still dazed by the strange boy's display of bending.

"We're not _water benders_, we're demigods," the black haired boy answered slowly, still ushering his friends deeper into the forest.

Aang buzzed around them on a ball of air, effectively cutting them off from the direction they were moving in.

"What do you mean you guys are not water benders? You just controlled Katara's water!" the boy said enthusiastically.

"Only I can do that," Percy pointed out. "And I'm not sure you'll understand why."

"Huh," the Avatar conceded.

"Did you just… fly?" the curly haired boy asked in bewilderment. "What is going on?! Annabeth, pinch me."

"You're not dreaming, Leo," the blonde replied.

"Hi, Leo," the Avatar said with a smile. "I'm Aang."

"That is a strange name," the other answered. "I like strange."

Grinning, he stretched out his arm in greeting. "I'm Leo Valdez, to be exact- son of Hephaestus, technical extraordinaire, Super-sized-McShizzle-man and bad boy supreme."

"Katara," Aang squealed for the second time that day. "He sounds just like Sokka!"

"Did you just call me a sock?" the boy who'd just introduced himself asked with a wince. "Wow, that's degrading."

"No, Sokka is Katara's-,"

"Aang, please stop talking," Katara rose to her feet in annoyance.

This was getting out of hand. Aang was being too…too…friendly. This was going to get them all killed.

"If they were running away from the fire nation just now, there's a good chance they're still here," the water bender stated flatly, grabbing the Avatar by his shoulder. "There is no way we're gonna have you out in the open like this. It's too dangerous, Aang. We have to go back."

"Hey! You're just going to leave us here like that?" Leo yelled.

"It's for the best Valdez," Annabeth said, pulling the boy deeper into the forest.

"We're just going to leave them like that?" Aang repeated sadly. "and what about berry picking?"

Katara sighed but didn't relent. They needed to find Sokka and Toph. And that wretched fire bender.

Oooh she couldn't _wait_ to bend his head off… literally.

Scowling, the waterbender headed out of the forest, dragging a reluctant Avatar behind her.

"No berry picking, Aang," she snapped. "Let's go."

"No Katara," the Avatar stated, adamantly, digging his heels into the soil beneath them and slowing their movement down.

Katara whirled around to face the boy in shock. "What do you mean no? You'll do as I say _right now_ or so help me I'll get Zuko to make you wake up _extra _early and do _fifteen_ more fire squats. How's that sound?"

The Avatar winced but didn't comply. "No, Katara. These people are strange and new here. And I mean really new. They're not benders, but they can do the things we do. If that's not a sign from the Spirits…I don't know what is."

"Aang, the Spirits do crazy things sometimes," Katara tried to reason. "But it doesn't mean we always have to listen to them. It could be a weird coincidence meant for someone else. You don't wanna steal someone else's destiny do you?"

Aang shifted nervously. "No," he murmured. "But I have a really good feeling they are ours."

"Aang you can't just," Katara began exasperatedly.

She barely noticed the strangers watching them in silent amusement.

"I can, Katara," the boy said with a wary grin. "I'm the Avatar. Plus we can't leave them here to face the fire nation soldiers alone! My job is to _save_ the people, Katara. It's not right to ignore my duties. As the Avatar I have to bring peace and balance to the world. Only I can do this and it is up to me to save the-,"

"Yes, yes I get it. Only _youu _can save the world," Katara groaned, before releasing the young boy and nodding to the strangers. "Come with us, we'll help you escape the fire nation."

The tall black haired boy glanced at his friends before nodding in agreement.

"We'll come," he answered.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked.

"Well," the boy replied slowly. "It's better than nothing."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU BOUGHT A BUNCH OF LUNATICS WHO CALL THEMSELVES DEMIGODS WITH YOU TO THE SACRED AND SECRET AIR TEMPLES BECAUSE AANG DECIDED TO BE A STUBBORN IDIOT AND GIVE 'THE SPEECH'," Sokka yelled.

Katara sighed, "Well… the speech was powerful."

"Aang," Sokka deadpanned, "Go to your room and think about what you have done."

Aang sighed and headed for the corridor leading to the sleeping quarters.

"AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY YOUNG MAN! BECAUSE OF YOU NOW WE ONLY GET ONE BERRY EACH FOR BREAKFAST."

"I could go pick some more," the Avatar's face broke out into a smile, "Then there'd be enough to go around."

"The last time I sent you out to get berries," Sokka glared, "You came back with _them_. Room, Aang, now."

Aang sighed and left to his room, smiling wryly at the bunch of strangers who were seated in a circle in the other corner of the alcove.

"Toph, go pick some berries," Sokka ordered.

"WHAT? I'm blind; I don't even know what berries even look like, how'd you expect me to know where to pick them from?" Toph threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Fine, take Zuko with you," Katara's brother groaned.

"I suppose there's no way for me to get out of this," the earth bender said as she rose to her feet and looked in the direction where she presumed Zuko to be, "Come on Sparky, let's get out of here."

The fire prince groaned and got up, marching behind the short black haired girl towards the forest.

"Katara," Sokka turned to face his sister, "I can't believe that you would accuse Zuko of leading the fire nation to us!"

"Oh come on Sokka!" Katara rose to her feet, "He's the Fire Prince! How could I NOT blame him for leading the fire nation to us!"

"Zuko, no matter what he did in the past, has done nothing but help Aang since he got here. He faced dragons for that kid, Katara!"

"He faced dragons for himself, Sokka, all he's ever done is for himself," she hissed.

"So he wakes up at the crack of dawn for himself?"

"Sokka, he' a fire bender. He can't help it if he wakes up at the crack of dawn. Fire benders wake up with the sun."

"That's irrelevant."

"No it isn't, brother," Katara buried her face in her hands in frustration.

"And what about them?" Sokka hissed, pointing in the direction of the circle of _demigods_.

Katara winced.

"Aang believes that it is in his destiny to help them, and for them to help him in return," Katara nervously looked down at her toes.

"By doing what? Teaching Aang how to- I don't even know what they can do to help him!"

"The boy can bend water, though he claims he's not a water bender," Katara supplied.

"So he's what? An earth bender who bends water?"

"No, they said they weren't benders, period."

"That's scary and weird. Take them away," Sokka stated, stubbornly.

"Sokka listen," Katara snapped, slowly losing her temper.

She was glad the fire prince hadn't also joined in to defend his _honor _against her accusations- if he had, she would've exploded for sure.

Thankfully, Zuko just stood to a side in silence with Toph, waiting to be dismissed.

"If Aang wants them here, they stay here. We took his word on Zuko and just like YOU just proved to me, he's been 'helpful ever since'. So if Aang thinks these guys deserve to be here, then they do. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find something for us to eat for dinner."

"Yeah," Sokka called after her grumpily. "Because you failed the group and forgot the berries!"

"I didn't say it wasn't my fault."

"I know. I'm just reminding you," Sokka said with a sniff, before plopping down to sit.

"Come on Toph, it's too dark for berry picking anyway," he said, beckoning towards the earthbender.

"Oh man, I was excited to see the berries," she sighed sadly.

"I'll take you to see them later," Sokka replied gently before pausing. "Waiiiit…"

Toph cackled loudly and rolled over in tears of laughter. "You still fall for it Snozzles!"

"I hate you," the water tribesman groaned.

Zuko glanced between the two and silently made his way in the direction Katara had taken. Hearing the sound of feet slapping the floor behind her, the water bender walked sharply till she was out of the alcove and out of the _demigods_ hearing range. She whipped around to face Zuko, her brown hair cutting through the air.

"Katara," Zuko said slowly, as if he was testing the waters, "We need to talk."

"About what, Fire Prince?" she seethed, "About how you called your men here to get Aang? The others might be stupid enough to think that you have changed, but your little charade doesn't fool me. What? Don't look so surprised Zuko. Did you really think I'd believe that you would drop your quest for regaining your honor just to help the avatar? Whom you stalked down for half your life, may I add? Who is also the key to regaining your honor?"

Zuko stood there while the fire inside him built up as each word slipped out from Katara's mouth. She could see him bristling with barely contained anger. One wrong word and she knew he would blow.

For some reason, she felt giddy knowing she could provoke him to the extent that left him steaming in fury. Ha. So he wasn't as in control of his emotions as he thought he was. Stupid firebender wasn't good at everything so it seemed.

"Don't think you've fooled me for a second!" the waterbender snapped angrily. "I'll never believe a word you say. Not now not ever!"

"I'm sorry about Ba Sing Se!" Zuko blurted out suddenly, causing Katara to stumble back in shock.

The firebender himself didn't seem to have expected to say what he just had. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second but he pulled himself together and went with it.

"I know this won't change anything, but I had to say it. There's nothing I can say to change what you think of me, but I just had to apologize for that," he said in his usual husky voice. "That's all."

He turned to leave. "Oh, Katara?"

The waterbender looked up silently, waiting.

"I didn't betray the Avatar today and I never will."

Katara just shook her head in response and walked away; her mind at unrest with the spiraling storm of previously untouched emotions wreaking havoc inside her.

As she clattered around with the pots and pans, making more noise than necessary, the water bender struggled not to think about the heated conversation with the fire bender. Sure enough it hadn't been as charged as usual- something was off about this one. Something that managed to creep past her defenses and wiggle its way into her worrying mind.

She tried to ignore it, but it persisted and slowly her thoughts turned to face the niggling fact.

Had he really…._cared_?

Of course not. But what had provoked such an apology? They NEVER spoke about Ba Sing Se… she was sure they'd made a pact upon it.

Okay, maybe it was only she that had signed that fictional agreement, but she was doubly sure he hadn't wanted to speak of it either.

Sighing, the waterbender began preparing their nightly meal.

Katara was a woman of balance. She'd never before spent so much time trying not worry about something she clearly was worried about. Usually, she'd argue it in her head until there was nothing left for doubt, but with this problem, she couldn't get anywhere through all the denial. Whenever it came to Zuko, she always had several layers of dismissal shrouding the cold hard facts.

She wanted to think about how he may have changed. She wanted to think about how much Ba Sing Se had hurt her _personally_. She wanted to think about how he was actually putting himself fully into Aang's firebending training… but she couldn't.

She ignored the truth… the somewhat obvious truth, and continued blaming the firebender in her head.

But deep inside her she knew even a blind person could see she had to forgive him.

And a blind person had seen this already. She was sure Toph had been hinting at this very thing for the past week!

Grunting in displeasure, she heaved the tray of soup and a pile of bowls into her arms and headed for the campfire.

"What's for dinner?" she heard Toph call.

Sokka peered into the bowl Katara was holding.

"It is soup," he sighed, "it's always soup."

Katara ignored him and placed the bowl down, serving her friends and the demigods as well.

"You missed Sparky's show off session," the earth bender said. "You should have seen the look on the demigod peoples faces!"

Silence prevailed in the alcove.

"I wish I could have," Toph said, almost cheerily.

"Ha ha," Katara laughed dryly, "So Zuko showed off, huh?"

"Yeah," the one called Leo smiled, "Maaan, I wish I could do that."

"Don't we all," Sokka mumbled sadly.

"Hey, you can join me in my morning sessions!" Aang said, gulping down his soup.

"He can't just learn to be a firebender," Katara frowned.

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you" Aang said in realization. "Leio-,"

"Lee-Oh," the lanky boy corrected, "L-ee-oh."

"Um, yeah, LEEOH here is a fire bender."

"Demigod- a fire bending demigod," Leo groaned.

Toph and Zuko frowned along with Sokka.

"I still don't get that," the water tribesman sighed, but dropped the subject. "So, how'd you all end up here?"

"We don't know," the black haired demigod answered.

Silence prevailed in the temple.

"Well… that's fun," Sokka muttered finally. "I guess."

"Yep," the boy called Leo said with a grin. "So fun. We love being fried to death by complete strangers at the crack of noon. Best pastime EVER."

Leo smiled broadly, showing off his set of perfect white teeth. Katara eyed him warily. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. She just didn't trust that mouth of his. He seemed too much of cheeky monkey to ever say something good.

"You know what?" the boy Katara was observing glanced between Zuko and Katara who sat on the opposite sides, separated by the fire.

"What?" Sokka asked, spoon still wedged between his lips.

"I ship you two."

While Zuko frowned in utter bewilderment, Katara went red in the face for reasons unknown to even her.

What did he even mean?

Something terrible that's for sure.

The blonde demigod seemed to understand him though.

"Leo," she admonished. "You can't just ship people without their consent."

"Plus they hate each other," the tall black haired boy pointed out, snuggling closer to the girl.

"Percy," Annabeth (was that her name?) sighed. "How do you even know that?!"

"Yeah," Leo sighed dreamily. "The chemistry would be so crazy."

"LEO!" the blonde snapped. "These are real people!"

"Erm," Aang ventured slowly. "Sending Katara and Zuko on a ship would be bad. They don't… get along very well."

"Sorry, Aang," Annabeth apologized. "We won't… send them on a…. ship."

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "But you can't stop me from writing an awesome fic!"

"That is creepy beyond words," the one called Percy said in disgust while his girlfriend asked: "On what, Leo? Papyrus?"

The curly haired boy sulked.

"Why do I get the feeling you do this a lot?" Percy asked slowly.

Leo glanced up, startled. "Am I the only one who ships Nico and Will?!" he asked in horror.

"Okay someone seriously needs to explain what's going on!" Katara snapped irritably, annoyed from being kept out of the loop.

These people sure spoke differently to them. Maybe they were from the future? Like future benders… from a world where everything was peaceful hopefully. She needed to speak to Aang about this idea.

"Please explain this to me," Toph interrupted. "You can manipulate elements…but you're not benders?"

"Toph," Katara muttered. "It's confusing."

"Toph, is it?" Percy asked gently. "Toph, our back story is kinda really very messed up and I'm a hundred percent sure you wouldn't understand it if I tried to explain it all. But just get this. Where we come from there's only a very few of us demigods, compared to the amount of normal people. They don't really know about us. We keep it secret. Our… demigodishness. And out of all the demigods, there's even less of us with special powers. I can control water and Leo can control fire."

"And Annabeth?" Sokka asked, testing out her name awkwardly.

"I'm as normal as a demigod can be," the girl in question answered.

"Don't be silly, wise-girl," Percy snorted. "Annabeth's crazy smart and a kickass fighter. She also has great strategic plans."

"Just like me!" Sokka gasped dramatically. "Holyyy hell!"

Katara sighed. This was going to be a long, long night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN;**

**AAAND that's it. **

**Thank you for reading. **

**Feel free to check out the avengers fic i wrote with my sister. It's on her account. **

**It's called Avengers; Rise of the All father.**

**Okay, I'm done pestering you guys.**  
><strong>bye.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**So first off i need to confirm something; I'm so sorry about hating on Piper. I actually like her, not as much as I like the others. But i do like her. And i might be an unofficial writer, but I am better than to let my personal opinions get in the way of my book. Piper's absence (and the other's absence) will be explained. Not in this chapter though. And Jason's where abouts will be explained too. Just go with the book, I will explain EVERYTHING! **

**I love all of you who have left me motivational reviews and even reviews in the form of questions. **

**I hope i answered them all in PM's. **

**As for the benders ages (cause someone asked) Katara is about 14, Sokka is 15 and Zuko is 16. I know right? They seem SOOOO much older! **

**Anyway, on with the story; **

* * *

><p>"OH MY GOD SOMEBODY HELP ME!"<p>

Percy shot upright, shoving the cloth that acted as a blanket off him. He knew that voice.

"PLEASE! MERCY!"

He knew that voice like the back of his hand. Percy nervously glanced down beside him. Slowly he let out a sigh of relief when Annabeth stirred in her sleep, twitching her tiny red nose.

"OH LORD SAVE ME!"

If it wasn't Annabeth then…..it was _Leo_. Shit.

"Annabeth wake up!" the son of Poseidon urged as he clicked his pen that immediately transformed into Riptide, his celestial bronze sword.

"That was impressive."

Percy turned to see a stunned and perplexed Sokka, who stood amidst the now awake benders. His widened eyes and mouth that hung open in sheer shock only confirmed Percy's suspicion that the benders had never seen such technology. Percy glanced back at Riptide and shrugged. It wasn't that impressive to him. After all, pens that turn into swords aren't as half as impressive as coins that turn into swords and daggers.

The one called Toph frowned suddenly.

"What's impressive? Wait…never mind," she shook her head; her black short hair held back by her green head band. "Your friend is outside the alcove. Hurry."

The sea god's son frowned, not exactly sure how the earth bender knew that.

_Must be a blind man's intuition_, he thought to himself before hastily correcting;_ blind girl's_.

"Oh shut up and calm down," Percy heard another voice whisper yell. "You'll wake the others."

"THAT'S WHY I'M SCREAMING!" Leo shrieked.

Percy gripped Riptide tightly as he bounded towards his distressed friend with Annabeth and the others on his trail. The Avatar buzzed around Percy on his ball of air.

"That's Zuko," Aang said.

"Who's Zuko?"

Honestly these bender people had the strangest names ever.

"The person with McShizzle," the Avatar said.

"Who's McShizzle?"

The Avatar paused in mid-flight. "Your friend?"

Oh right….Leo.

Percy nodded with a grimace.

"VALDEZ," Percy yelled as they burst out of the dark alcove.

And what stood before Percy Jackson was like nothing he'd ever seen before. And that's saying a lot, because Percy Jackson had seen it all- gods, Titans, Cyclops, hippocampi, Pegasi, the Golden Fleece, a hellhound, a skeleton army, and way more.

What stood before Percy Jackson was-

"APPA!" the Avatar yelled in glee, throwing himself on the creature and nuzzling it affectionately.

"You're hugging that…that," Leo stammered, eyeing the creature in disgust.

"Appa," Percy supplied, testing the word as it rolled off his tongue.

"Of course I'm hugging Appa," the twelve year old mumbled, his voice muffled due to the fact that his face was pressed into the _Appa's_ fur.

"Appa is Aang's pet sky bison," Katara explained.

"That's his pet?" Leo shrieked while Annabeth muttered, "Makes sense."

"How does this make any sense?" Percy asked before sighing suddenly. "You know what? I don't want to know."

"I get that feeling all the time," Sokka piped in. "Sometimes a man just doesn't want to know what he needs to know."

There was a low husky laugh from Percy's right. The demigod whipped around to se a chuckling Zuko.

"I tried to tell him that Appa doesn't eat people," Zuko said darkly, regaining his usual bored looking self once he noticed all the pairs of eyes trained on him. "But once he started screaming it seemed like a good idea to let him freak out."

"Did it now?" the water bending girl hissed, something she did a lot when she was addressing the fire bender.

"At the time," Zuko said grimly. "Now not so much."

Katara looked as if she was going to whack him upside the head.

Which she did.

Full force.

"Dammit, water peasant!" the fire bender screamed, righting himself from the force of her blow.

The Avatar held back snort of laughter. "Katara, don't fight," he cried. "Please."

"Whoo hoo!" the blind girl cheered. "We haven't seen a fight in ages!"

"Toph," the one named Sokka began warily. "You've _never_ seen one. _Ever_."

"That's what I said, Snozzles," the earth bender said with a grin. "_Ages_."

Percy shifted uncomfortably as he watched the waterbending girl snap at the firebender again. These people were very temperamental. And by that, he meant _very._ Especially those two, he noticed, eyeing the benders circling each other predatorily. The brown haired girl had summoned water to her finger tips and the clear liquid was now coating her arms like gloves, all the way up to her elbows. Percy wished he could do that. Maybe he could; but he'd never attempted to do that before. Maybe he could ask her to teach him that trick…

"How can we ever rely on you?" Katara seethed.

"This is the most pathetic reason you could yell at me for," Zuko snorted, still standing arrogantly in place while the waterbender crouched defensively.

"Pathetic? I'm pathetic?!" Katara snapped, eyes wild. "I'll show you pathetic."

"That's not what I meant," Zuko began, only to be cut off by a massive water whip aiming straight for his face.

Percy watched in awe- Katara had moved so fast, there was no way the other guy could've seen it coming quick enough. But the moment turned his head Zuko's way, the fire prince was nowhere to be seen.

He landed silently a few paces behind where he had last been and growled as he watched the water splash noisily to the floor.

"Would you look at yourself?" he snapped. "Fighting like a child."

Katara narrowed her eyes. The water rose from the floor and into the air, shimmering in the form of tiny globules. She twitched her fingers decisively and the water froze into shards of unforgiving ice.

Percy heard Annabeth gasp softly.

"Should we intervene?" Annabeth asked quietly.

Sokka shook his head. "We usually let them fight it out."

"Why?" Annabeth pressed, eyes never leaving the duo before her.

"Something happened in Ba Sing Se. They won't tell us- but I know something did," the warrior replied softly.

"Take this for childish," Katara yelled, releasing the ice and sending it whistling towards her opponent/team-mate.

Zuko didn't flinch. The ice made it inches close to his face before a wall of fire burst out before him with a wave of his hand.

The fire bender raised a brow. "That's all?" he asked as if to goad her.

The waterbender hissed. Her arms moved fluidly around her as she controlled the water, turning it into whips that snapped at the fire bender's feet. Zuko dodged them easily, twisting through the air like an acrobat. He landed steadily on his feet and slashed an arm through the air; a burst of fire slicing effectively through her onslaught of water.

Katara growled. She had to step up her game and she knew it. Without hesitation, she stormed Zuko, lashing out with a watery octopus looking thing that Percy had never seen before. The tentacles of water slammed into the fire bender's torso from all directions, tossing him into the air. Zuko twirled in his descent and landed in a crouch. Scowling, he kicked his legs out from beneath him and spun them through the air, his heels trailing fire.

Percy resisted the urge to "ooh".

Katara stepped back from the heat of his flame; eyes narrowed and breathing heavy. They moved in tandem- but somehow, there was some sort of pattern. She fought fluidly, with smooth moves and graceful attacks that were calming to watch but deadly to those who were on the opposing side. He, on the other hand, fought much differently. He used his entire body, unlike she who only used her hands. He twisted and turned and kicked and punched as if the fire were in him and not just something he controlled from the outside.

Which was probably true, for there was no source of fire for him to derive the energy he was using now.

Percy gulped as he watched Zuko blast an enormous ball of fire at the waterbending girl, but luckily, she rolled out of the way in time.

"Can't finish me, Zuko?" Katara called. "Too much of a coward aren't you?"

The fire bender ground his teeth together firmly. His fingers clawed the air at his sides and sparks of electricity danced at his fingertips.

"Okay," Aang stated flatly. "ENOUGH."

A massive gush of air whooshed through the room, knocking everyone to the ground and extinguishing the flames that scattered the alcove.

"Katara, please stop fighting with Zuko," the boy said as he approached the two benders. "I know you two find it hard to get along, but try for my sake. You're both my teachers and you're both equally important."

The waterbender bristled at that last sentiment but kept quiet. "Sure, Aang. I won't kick his ass again."

Zuko glanced at her, his one good eye widening considerably. "I'm pretty sure you got that the wrong way around," he snapped. "You lost!"

Katara snorted defensively. "Did not!"

Percy cleared his throat. "Okay erm, what happens today?"

Sokka immediately took the cue and stumbled to the middle of the room to get everyone's attention. "Okay newbs and Team Avatar," he began. "This is today's plan. Katara will go make breakfast and we'll all eat a yummy nutritious meal- minus the berries, because we all know what happened last night. Zuko will train Aang till then and we will all chill."

Annabeth watched as he ended his speech and snorted. "That's all?"

"No," Sokka replied with a scowl. "Then we have lunch."

Katara sighed and picked herself off the ground. "After Aang's firebending lesson, I will train him and then Toph will. Once we're all done, we might squeeze in a few more training sessions for the rest of us and by that time it will be pretty late."

"Can I fight with Zuko this time?" Toph pleaded with large glossy eyes. "Katara always hogs him for herself."

The waterbender flushed and looked away haughtily. "I do not!"

Zuko gagged inaudibly. "She's a terrible sparring partner anyway."

"So fight with me?" Toph asked with a grin.

Zuko seemed to hesitate. "Maybe next time," he said before rising swiftly to his feet.

Scowling, he snatched the Avatar by his collar and dragged him out the alcove. "Training time now!"

"Awh, Sifu Hotman," Aang whined. "Do we have to start already? Can't we spend more time with our new friends?"

"No," Zuko snapped. "They're not gonna help you overthrow Ozai, are they now?"

Aang froze in Zuko's grasp. "They… they could!"

"Hey, McShizzle Man!" the Avatar called over his shoulder, as Zuko dragged him through the temple. "Wanna train with us?"

Leo bolted to his feet and trailed after them.

"What did you mean by that?" he asked as he went.

Silence prevailed in the alcove, where the others were left behind.

Katara sighed and began making her way in the other direction. "I'll get breakfast," she said gloomily.

"Want any help?" Annabeth ventured.

"No."

"Okaay."

"Annabeth, you can't cook," Percy pointed out.

She whacked him in the arm. "Didn't hurt to offer help!"

"Helping Katara hurts," Sokka admitted, gesturing for them to follow him out across the temple. "It hurts a lot."

"Nah," Toph chuckled. "He's just a useless brother and gets in her way too much. But I gotta agree Sugar Queen isn't that keen on team play."

Annabeth snorted. "She reminds me of Clarisse."

Sokka paused and leaned over curiously. "Who's that?"

"This girl who stuck my head in the toilet when we were little," Percy replied with a grimace.

Sokka laughed brightly. "Oh yeah, Katara used to stick my head in everything when we were kids. Even Ostrich horse poop. She still does every now and then."

His expression faded out to one of depression. "She's so violent."

"I'd say!" Toph laughed.

"So," Annabeth ventured. "What's your deal?"

"I dunno, what's yours?" Toph snapped defensively.

Annabeth backtracked immediately. "What I meant to say was… I'd like to understand how you... err… work?"

'"Work?!" Toph shrieked. "I'm not a toy, Princess! I'm a killing machine! I am a weapon of massive destruction! I am a masterbender! I am melonlord!"

And with that the short earthbending girl ran helter skelter across the temple, miraculously avoiding all obstacles and flinging pebbles in their direction every now and then.

"How does she do that?" Percy asked breathlessly, deflecting a rock headed for his face using his sword.

"Toph Bei Fong is crazy cool," Sokka replied proudly, ducking another flying pebble. "She's been blind since she was little, but she ran away from her home and grew up with badger moles."

"BADGER MOLES?" Annabeth asked incredulously.

"Yeah, they're huge creatures that live under ground and are blind. Like her. They taught her how to listen to the earth and "see" through vibrations and such. I have no idea how it works but that's what she told us. So basically," Sokka explained. "She can sense every move you make on this soil, or on any rock or ground in like, a fifty mile radius. Every move, every breath, every false step."

"Wow," Percy muttered.

"She's a very talented girl," Annabeth added in awe.

"Stop prattling like old people and hurry up, let's start the day!" Toph called from further ahead.

"How old is she?" Annabeth asked with a soft smile, watching the earth bender jump around in wait for them to catch up.

"Twelve," Sokka groaned. "The little brat."

"She's twelve?!" Percy gasped, choking on air. "You're taking a twelve year old to defeat some evil bad guy?!"

Sokka flinched at his outburst. "Erm… Aang's twelve too?"

Percy nearly froze in place. "What?!'

"He looks the age, Percy," Annabeth said with a frown. "Don't forget you were twelve when you first came to camp."

"Yeah but I was sixteen when I had the major showdown with Kronos!" Percy replied agitatedly. "These are small children, Annabeth! They can't do this all on their own."

"Of course we can!" Sokka interjected stubbornly. "It's Aang's destiny and we can help him!"

"Sure,' Annabeth agreed sincerely, before dragging her boyfriend aside and punching him on the shoulder roughly. "Stop messing with them, Percy! They've got their thing going on and when we were their age- so did we! Let them be. For now, let's just focus on trying to find out where Jason is."

Percy stiffened at the mention of his friend's name and shook his head, ashamed. "I can't believe we got distracted. How do we start?"

Annabeth watched Sokka's retreating figure and frowned. "I guess we'll have to ask them for help."

"The kids?" Percy groaned. "I'm not asking kids for help!"

Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs.

"Stop that!" the son of Poseidon cried.

"Then stop whining, Seaweed Brain!" she replied. "We know nothing of the lay of this land and we have no clue where we are."

"The Western Air Temple!" Percy added, with a triumphant grin.

Annabeth shot him a glare. "That doesn't help us! It doesn't tell us where we need to be and doesn't explain anything! Like are there more Air Temples? Do the fire guys live in a temple too? If so- where is that temple?"

"We could ask for directions," Percy pointed out.

Annabeth sighed. "I thought of that already. But even so, it's not like they're gonna give us a map and point us to the nearest subway station. Something tells me there are no modern systems of transport in this place."

Percy snorted. 'Are you kidding me? There's no modern anything!"

"Right. So see what I mean? We'll need to know how to get where we have to go and we wouldn't even blend in! We'd stand out like sore thumbs- I mean these guys don't wear jeans!"

"I kinda like what Zuko wears," Percy said as he jogged to catch up with Sokka and Toph.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. 'That guy just walks around shirtless all day!"

"So?" Percy replied with a pout. "I think his pants are rad."

"I don't even know how he slept shirtless last night. It was so cold."

"Maybe his _inner fire _kept him warm."

"Right… forgot these people controlled elements, for a second there," Annabeth groaned, marching off into the alcove where they'd shared dinner the previous day.

Percy slowed down and watched his girlfriend carefully. He knew she was out of her depth here. Annabeth would never mention it and she would die before showing it to the world, but he knew she wasn't comfortable with the state of things. Percy felt like as if he could fit in rather smoothly with these guys. Usually he had no qualms about anyone, really, unless they were trying to kill him. But his powers and Leo's, made it easier for them to integrate. Annabeth didn't have the same elemental powers that they did. Even Jason had power over the air and electricity. Annabeth only had her mind.

And Percy knew that he head was a deadly weapon in itself, but it still kept her from fully understanding this world and its people. Their lives revolved around their connection to their elements, and somehow, Percy felt as if he could understand them. He couldn't see all the elements in Aang- but he saw how the boy was calm and collected like the air. He could understand Katara's shifting moods, ever changing like the sea. He could understand Zuko's volatility, his silent but deadly personality like an open flame. He could see the earth in Toph; her stoic stubbornness and blunt persona. And Sokka- wait a minute.

Was Sokka a bender? Of course, he had to be. But he had never mentioned anything about his powers and neither had he displayed anything of the sort.

Percy had seen each of the others display their prowess various ways- Aang with the intervention and Toph with her pebbles and Katara and Zuko with their massive fight. But Sokka hadn't shown a hint of bending ability- not even once. Percy frowned to himself, but before he could contemplate further, he was dragged forward by a small figure in green.

"Toph," he cried, stumbling as she led him through a tiny passageway.

"C'mon Sea Prune, we're gonna watch Twinkletoes and your friend train with Sparky," the earthbender said gleefully.

Percy ignored the "watch" part and focused on the nicknames. "Sea prunes?" he asked, dumbly.

"Sea prunes are the disgusting things Water people eat, and Katara loves them so since you two and now totes besties, I thought that would fit," Toph replied with a chuckle. "Now hold on, I can't be bothered pulling you anymore."

Before Percy could ask her what she meant by that, the ground beneath him rumbled and the slab of stone they had been standing on rose into the air.

"What the-," Percy began, turning to glare at Toph.

The earthbender had sunk into a crouching pose and now swung her arms into the air roughly. Almost immediately, the stone slab obeyed her commands and shot forwards through the passageway, twisting and weaving through the temple at break neck speeds.

"Oh gods!" Percy cried, holding onto Toph's shoulder for dear life.

The air whistled past their faces as the slab scooted through the temple until it broke into a large opening that was situated on the far left side of the structure. Toph immediately set the slab down with a thundering boom and Percy rolled off onto solid ground.

"What is going on over there?!" Zuko snapped angrily, shooting to his feet from where he was seated cross-legged on the floor. "We're trying to meditate here!"

"Toph wanted to visit," Percy answered, struggling to his feet.

"I have arrived!" the earthbender announced. "Let's have some fighting!"

Zuko face palmed. "I can see that."

"Well, I can't," Toph settled down on the floor.

"Oh Percy, hey!" Leo called, from where he was seated beside the Avatar. "I'm finding my chi!"

"And you'll never succeed if you keep getting distracted!" Zuko yelled thunderously, whirling around to face the curly haired demigod.

Nodding furiously, Leo screwed his eyes shut and struggled to re-meditate.

Beside him, the Avatar seemed to be fully immersed in his meditation; he hadn't even roused.

Grumbling to himself, Zuko sat back into his previous position and closed his eyes.

"If you disturb me again," he threatened. "I won't hesitate in burning your feet off."

Percy gulped nervously.

Toph laughed silently. "He's joking, Sea Prune," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "He did that already- to me."

"What happened?" Percy whispered back, horrified.

Toph smiled as if she were lost in happy memories.

"It was an accident, he didn't mean it," she said. "Doesn't mean I let him off easy though."

"Less talking over there," Zuko growled.

"Yeah more fighting!" Toph crowed.

Percy sighed.

These benders were crazy. Crazier than those Empousai crazy.

"Toph I'm telling you," Zuko hissed. "Be quiet."

"OHM."

Zuko's eyes snapped open and he glared daggers at the snickering earth bender.

"OHM," Toph repeated, closing her eyes and meditating mockingly.

"TOPH BEI FONG!" Zuko yelled, jumping to his feet and stalking towards Toph.

Fire sparked at the tips of the angered bender's fingers as he approached the unsuspecting earth bender, though something told Percy that she knew Zuko was approaching her with fire burning his fingers. Toph's eyes snapped open and she grinned as if she could see Zuko's twisted and contorted face.  
>"You never anger a fire bender," Aang piped in from behind the storming black haired boy.<p>

"Kinda like Hulk," Leo mused.

"Hulk?" Aang frowned, "There's a fire bender named Hulk?"

"Uh, well, no," Leo struggled. "Hulk's more like Toph….green."

"I'm GREEN?" Toph yelled. "Wait, what's green?"

Zuko sighed audibly, "I was going to kill you, but you aren't worth my time.."

"Aw man," Toph pouted. "I was looking forward to kicking your butt."

"Do you even know what a butt is?" Leo frowned.

"Something that looks like Sparky's face!" Toph burst out laughing while everyone else waited in silence and didn't bother to bring up the fact that Toph had never _seen_ Zuko's face.

"Well I can assume it looks like poop," Toph shrugged.

"Do you even know what poop-"

"Leo, drop it," Percy warned.

Leo made a _humph_ sound that sounded like he was agreeing.

"Come on Avatar, enough meditating, it's time to train," Zuko ran his fingers over his face.

"BREAKFAST IS READY!"

Katara's voice rang in Percy's ears. Man that girl was loud.

"Well," Leo whistled. "Take about bad timing."

Zuko just stood there fuming while Aang, Leo and Toph giddily left to eat breakfast without berries. The fire bender's fists clenched and fire flicked over his knuckles. He glared at the wall and Percy half expected it to crumble and fall in ashes.

"Water peasant," Zuko whispered to himself.

"You know," Percy got to his feet slowly. "I had this friend Beckendorf, Charles Beckendorf, and he told me this; 'When a girl tires to kill you, it often means she's into you."

Zuko frowned.

"Or something along the lines of that."

"Makes sense," Zuko replied.

"That's what I said," the sea god's son beamed.

"I was being sarcastic," the fire bender deadpanned.

Percy frowned, "I wasn't."

"But think about it," he continued. "Look at where Annabeth and I are now. Pretty much survived through the underworld together. Maybe it's not true in all cases, maybe, but still. If she's not into you, then she's trying to kill you because she likes you. As a friend, more than friend; you'd have to ask her. But if it's one thing I learnt then it's 'you got to tell them while they are here, because trust me, No one stays for long."

"**_You think I don't know that_**?" Zuko hissed.

Percy just shrugged and walked off leaving the perplexed and angry Zuko behind. He walked over to Annabeth and draped his arm over her shoulders.

They'd survived the labyrinth, the apocalypse and the underworld together. He knew they could get through this. Only one thing troubled Percy,

_Why were they here?_

Everything happens for a reason, he reminded himself. He looked at Annabeth who seemed to have the same question on her mind.

"Just wait and it will all play out," Percy mumbled and Annabeth craned her neck so she could meet his gaze.

"Shut Seaweed brain," she nudged his side. "You know I don't like waiting."

"IT'S SEA PRUNE," Toph yelled from the other side. "GET THE NAME RIGHT."

* * *

><p><strong>So this was almost like a long filler, I have been really busy lately. Anyone heard of MUN? Yeah...i had that for like three days. SO anyway, This chapter was there to answer a few questions and breech a few gaps. <strong>

**The next chapter, however, things will work out differently as there will be something BIG happening and SOMEONE not so big coming. Things will play out different from the TV show, but I shall clear that out next time. **

**FOR NOW I want all my lovely little readers to guess WHO will be coming in the next chapter and leave an idea for the book. If you get the answer right and your idea is actual;ly solid, I will feture it in the book. **

**Remember, I will only choose one winner and one idea so...REVIEW AWAY! **

**but while you leave the answer, don't forget to leave FEEDBACK! **

**FOLLOW AND FAVE, if you want...it's a free world. I think. **

**(P.S who remembered that Beckendorf advice and cried?) (I did)**

**XoXo**

**-Oblivionxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I'm back. And I'm sorry for offending you Piper lovers. Please don't hate me anymore. I explained A LOT in this chapter. Most of them are hints. Hope you get it. **

**Things in this chapter play out differently than in the cartoon. It's for the sake of the flow of the book. I hope I don't upset anyone with leaving out a few characters and details and what nots. **

**Just remember that I've changed it _almost_ completely. **

**Now on with the chapter and sorry if this update was late. **

* * *

><p>He'd been told many things, half of them by his Uncle Iroh, but what managed to pierce through his thick skull were the words uttered by a stranger.<p>

_"If a girl tries to kill you, it often means she's into you."_

And what was stranger was the boy's reaction. Zuko snapped at him, hissed at him and threw away his advice right in front of him and all the boy did was shrug.

Percy Jackson had just shrugged.

And Zuko knew he was the leader of the group. He knew that by the way he walked and the way he spoke. He didn't issue out commands, but you could still tell that if by any chance he did, that all of them would listen to him.

So then shrugging and letting Zuko go, even though he had rudely snapped at him, did that make Percy Jackson weak?

Zuko glanced back as Katara and Percy bending water. Percy mostly just lifted up chunks of it and crashed it down while Katara moved her hands swiftly and made large bubbles and water whips. Percy stopped to rest while Katara continued to bend, lost in her own world where everything went according to her plan. Zuko knew why she loved to bend water; because the water moved the way she wanted it to. She had full control over it. She moved gracefully as the water whips rose in the air and moved left and right. Then the tow whips merged together, forming a thick whip which she brought down with full force. The water slapped the floor with a deafening crack. Zuko winced.

And about what the boy had said to him.

Did Katara really feel that way about him? Did she care for him? Did she still have those feelings for him that she had in Ba Sing Se? Or had she disposed of them after he betrayed them all?

Zuko ran a calloused hand over his face in frustration. Why he betrayed them at Ba Sing Se was beyond him. He was foolish and stupid and honor hungry.

He would do anything to redeem himself to Team Avatar.

Zuko sighed. They really needed to get a more dramatic name for themselves.

"I'm ready!"

"Not so loud Sokka," Zuko hissed as the non bender approached.

"Oh so this is like Mission Impossible."

Zuko's black eyes formed slits as he glared at the bobbing brown mop if hair behind Sokka. Sokka sidestepped to give the fire bender a clear view of the sweat clad Leo McShizzle Valdez who looked like he'd been forcefully woken up.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Zuko hissed.

"Well, I figured it'll be stupid to go alone, only the two of us, so I thought I'd ask for help. Toph is loud and obnoxious and most likely to hold this against us. Katara, well, it gets pretty _heated_ when you two are together, so I passed. The Percy dude looks like he won't split up with Annabeth, I only wanted _one_ person. So that left Leo," Sokka explained hurriedly. "Now come, we haven't got much time."

"What?" Zuko snapped. "No way Water Peasant. The deal was both of us. Alone."

"As much as I trust you Zuko, I am NOT venturing into the hands of the fire nation with the fire prince alone."

"Duuude, you're a prince?" Leo whistled.

"Shut up _demigod_. The others will hear you," the now angry fire bender hissed.

Leo shrugged and moved slowly behind Sokka as if he was seeking protection. _Like Sokka can protect him form me_, Zuko though darkly, _what's he gonna do? Wield his boomerang at me?_

"I got boomerang in my pocket," Sokka said, as if he had read Zuko's mind and he beamed as he patted the sides of his pants.

"What?"

"Boomerang," Sokka explained to the confused Valdez, "It's like a curved piece of-"

"I know what it is, I just want to know why it's in your pocket," the boy said like having a boomerang in your pocket was the most redundant thing ever.

"Well," Zuko's low and dark voice answered him. "It's his weapon."

Silence slipped in unwelcome and Zuko waited for Leo to burst out laughing. The brown haired fire wielder did that often; laugh. Actually, come to think of it, Leo's whole group did that a lot. Laugh and smile and look so calm even though everything was falling apart. From what Zuko understood, they were in an unknown land for an unknown reason with a bunch of strangers. How were they so calm?

Something told the fire bender that they've been through worse.

"That's," Leo began, "So cool."

Sokka sighed; an audible sigh of relief while Zuko frowned.

"Are you like Australian?" the cheeky boy smiled.

"Aus-what?" Sokka asked, perplexed.

"Australian- you know what? Never mind," Leo sighed before starting to trudge through the woods.

Slowly, the warriors followed the boy even though they knew he had no idea where he was going.

"Which way do I turn?" Leo said, pointing in all sorts of directions.

"Right," Zuko said.

"Right, thanks," Leo said and resumed walking.

Why were they doing this? Why am _I _doing this? Zuko's mind spiraled into confusion. Something was off lately. Like how he'd apologized to Katara about Ba Sing Se. In his right mind he would **never** do that. Ever. Ba Sing Se was something he solemnly swore he would never bring up. It was his dark side.

He would do anything to earn back that respect and trust Katara had for him before he screwed up like a fool.

He would, but not that he would admit it.

"So…" Leo began. "Let's play 20 questions. Who's game?"

"20 questions? Sounds harmless," Sokka nodded. "I'm in."

Zuko grunted. Without even waiting for his answer the other two boys hurtled themselves into a strenuous game of 20 questions.

_This_, Zuko thought to himself, _is going to be a long day._

"Take a left," Zuko grunted. "Now a right."

* * *

><p>Katara was beyond furious. She bit her lip to hold back the onslaught of forthcoming cuss words. <em>Don't do it,<em> she chanted inside her head as she balled up her fist. Steam rose from her body and her blood boiled in her veins. Red clouded her vision and her breathing became uneven. Her brows deepened in the form of a V and her lip curled down in a tight lipped scowl.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" she yelled, out of breath and energy.

The two in front of her blinked.

"Toph, Aang," she said in a strained voice, "You cannot just go around EATING ALL THE BERRIES BEFORE BREAKFAST!"

Aang and Toph hung their heads in defeat. _Good,_ Katara thought bitterly, _Stay like that._

"I'm sure it's all right," Annabeth said slowly, "I can go pick some berries for us."

Katara fumed. Why was this girl always all about logic and solutions and answers and never just about screaming to let out steam?

"Yes," the water bender forced herself to be calm, at least a bit calmer than she was before. "That would be nice. Take Aang with you."

As much as the thought of the Avatar alone with a stranger scared her, Katara knew better then to send Annabeth off with Toph. She knew that she was the one who agreed to let them stay. She needed to trust them.

And a part of her did. Katara knew, somewhere inside her, that Aang was nothing but safe in the hands of Annabeth. She was not sure how the demigod would protect herself and the Avatar though. She hadn't shown any signs of special abilities like her friends Percy and Leo.

_Maybe she's like Sokka_, Katara mused.

_Speaking of him, where on earth is he_? Katara wondered while frowning slightly. Her thoughts clouded up as she tried to figure out where her brother might be. Distractedly Katara paced the room, too bust to notice Toph sneak away slowly with a bunch of berries in her hands.

"Listen, Katara?" the water bender heard a low voice say.

"Hmm?" she answered.

"Um…well, you told me you were gonna teach me to…uh…bend," Percy struggled.

Katara's eyes lit up and she beamed. She'd been waiting all through yesterday for this. To train someone who looked more cooperative and experienced than Aang. Katara rubbed her palms together.

"Let's go Demigod," she skipped out into a clearing. "We don't have all day."

As they got there, Katara immediately stood in form, breathing in and out slowly. Percy eyed her warily before adopting the same position. Percy's position was sloppy and unsure while Katara looked like she'd been doing this all her life. Which she had. The brown haired girl's arms moved swiftly and the water rose slowly out of the pouches that were strapped to her side. The water glistened as it moved in the form of whips. They rose steadily before crashing down on a plant and ending it's days.

"Your turn," Katara panted.

"There's," Percy looked around. "There's no water for me to…you know…bend."

Katara looked around at the plants around her and then back at the demigod. Slowly, she pointed at the plants with an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"Take it from the plants."

"Take what?"

"Water."

"You want me to suck out water from the _plants?_" Percy spat in disbelief. "HOW?"

Katara sighed before outstretching her arms. Slowly she moved them along with her feet and the plants began to droop as water licked the tips of her fingers. Percy stared in shock and awe.

"I can do that?" Percy gasped.

Katara shrugged and guided the water into her pouch. "Try."

The Son of Poseidon nodded and moved his arms just like Katara did. Katara heard a whooshing sound that sounded from all around her. Water bubbles came into view and slowly more water trickled from out of the woods. From all around them water rose up in the air. Water like waves hovered beside the demigod whose eyes were still strained on the little plant. Katara gasped and backed up, nearly crashing into Percy who seemed unaware of all this. Water kept coming from gods knows where and created walls beside Katara and Percy, so thick that the water bender couldn't see past or through them. The sound of the water rushing filled her ears as she stood there in shock, awe horror and other emotions she couldn't even fathom. Slowly stretching out her hands she dipped her finger into the wall of water and pulled it back. Her tongue flicked out to lick the tip of her finger and she gasped, taking a step back in horror.

The water was salty.

Sea water, she said to herself while her brain tried to understand and comprehend all of this.

"I…I…" Percy wheezed. "I can't."

And just like that the towering water walls around them crashed down with full force, knocking Katara off of her feet and drenching her head to toe. The cold water spilled across the floor and Katara spluttered while staring at Percy's back in awe.

"The plant is too stubborn," He sighed. "I just can't get the water out of the damn green thing."

And then he turned around, not looking the least bit flustered or wet. Percy Jackson was completely dry while Katara lay sprawled across the floor drenched.

"Oh gods, what happened?" Percy asked worriedly as he helped Katara to her feet.

"You," Katara wheezed. "You happened."

Percy frowned while the water rose off the bender's body as her hands moved wildly. She controlled the water off till she was as dry as him.

"What?" Percy inquired.

"You…Sea water…water walls…lots of water…." Katara struggled, clearly flustered as the water had knocked her breath out of her.

Never in her life had she seen someone able to control that much of water without even knowing it. Percy had just effortlessly dragged water from the sea which was miles away. An entire wall of water and he didn't even know it. He was too busy concentrating on the plant.

"Oh," Percy sighed, looking down at the wet floor. "Sorry?"

"Sorry?" Katara sputtered. "SORRY?"

Percy winced as the water bender stormed off away from the wet floor.

"That was amazing! That was nothing like I've ever seen before. That was SEA water! The sea is like…miles away! I mean, you didn't even know it! You were too stupidly busy watching the plant to even notice! How? How did you do that? The water walls were so thick and loud and strong and then all of a sudden the crashed down. They crashed down when you gave up!" Katara rambled.

Percy tried to accept the praise and ignore the fact that she called him stupid.

"Wait, who did you say you were?" Katara said all of a sudden.

"Percy…Jackson," He said slowly and continued seeing Katara's eager and awaiting facer. "Son of Poseidon."

Katara's eyes lit up at the last word. "Who is he?"

"Poseidon?"

"Yeah," the water bender smiled shyly. "If you don't mind me asking."

Percy shrugged and sat down beside her.

"From where I come from, there are gods. Many gods. Most people don't know they exist. Anyway, back in the earlier days, the god's used to come down to earth and fall in love with mortals. Humans. And they used to have children called Demigods. These children were half god and half human. After sometime the gods were forbidden to mingle with human and all their children were put into a camp. Camp Half Blood, my home. It's a training camp. We train there because we are the protectors of earth. The god's like to think they are but really, they don't do shit."

"So who is your…um…Godly Parent?"

"Poseidon."

And what came next amazed Katara so much that it was unfathomable.

"Poseidon, "Percy said. "God of the sea."

Katara had just trained with the son of the sea.

* * *

><p>Annabeth stood in the middle of the forest…lost. What was she thinking? Offering to go pick berries when she didn't even know what berries were good and which ones were bad! This was so unlike Annabeth.<p>

Maybe it was the fact that everyone else seemed to be useful here except her. Percy had water to bond over with that Katara girl and Leo had fire. Though she highly doubted Zuko was one for bonding.

What did she have?

Nothing.

This was just her trying to be helpful.

"These ones look pretty," the twelve year old boy beside her beamed, glancing up at Annabeth like a toddler looks at his pre school teacher.

"Pretty, maybe, but edible? I'm not so sure," Annabeth said, picking the berry out of Aang's hand and inspecting it closer. "What are the usual berries?"

Aang nodded and led her to a bush filled with their _usual berries_. Annabeth sighed and started to pick. She missed getting served by nymphs and satyrs and all kinds of mythical creatures. In fact, the daughter of Athena missed mythical creatures. Minotaur and Sphinx and Cyclops alike.

She missed Grover too, her goat legged friend. They were the unbeatable trio before the whole Seven prophesy. They ventured out together to save the world and they were feared by many and all. Back then, Annabeth knew her place. Now, not so much. There were many people, all with powers and special abilities. Where did she stand?

With Sokka.

At least he was there.

"Are you okay?" the Avatar's voice broke her out of her thoughts. She smiled a tight lipped smile and nodded.

"Really? Cause you've just been standing there with a distant look for the past half an hour," Aang pointed out.

Annabeth scowled in her head. Stupid observant twelve year old.

Just like Percy, she remembered. He too was only twelve when they went to return the lightning bolt. He was observant, he used to study her every move. And as much as that annoyed the hell out of her, she liked it. Because through that Percy had got to know her like no one before. Capture the Flag was now just a game of who knew who better. Percy knew her every move while she knew his. It was never ending, their battles, and Annabeth lived for it.

And Percy knew her even out of the battle field. He knew her hamartia, her fatal flaw. He knew her obsession with architecture and why she loved it. He knew her aspirations her fears and everything. And she knew him like the back of her hand. She knew him like she knew how to wield a sword. She knew that he was not just the cool and calm guy he let on to be. He was so much more. It took a while to figure that out, because Percy was so good at only showing the happy side of himself. But at the same time, Percy wasn't afraid to cry.

And he had, he'd cried many times. During battles and wars. He was not afraid to show that he'd do anything for his friends. Because he knew that it didn't make him weak, it made him strong.

"You're doing it again, staring off into space."

Annabeth snapped around to face the amused air bender.

"Sorry," she sighed.

"It's okay, I get it," Aang smiled.

He was too cute for his own good, she smiled to herself.

"You do?"

"Yeah, it's strange here. You don't know why you're here. You feel lost. I know what it's like to not know what to do."

"You did?" Annabeth raised both eyebrows in genuine surprise.

"Yeah, when they fist named me Avatar, I got scared," he sighed and plopped down on the floor. "They all bowed down to me and I knew that at that moment I had taken on the responsibility of maintaining balance in the world. Which is a lot if you ask me. So I ran. I created a ball of ice and sank down to the bottom of the ocean and stayed like that for a hundred years."

Now that's something you don't hear everyday.

"So you're really a hundred and twelve?"

"Yup," he said, popping the 'p'.

So much like Percy, she mused. She reached out and ruffled his hair then sat down beside him.

"I rarely get scared, and I rarely show it," Annabeth took in a large breath. "And well, I'm built for war. But right now, I've been through a lot. Hell, I've been through hell. And I just wanted to settle down, you know? Live a normal life."

"I tired that once," Aang smiled like he was remembering something pleasant. "Back in the fire nation."

"Fire nation?" Annabeth gasped. "I thought they were the bad guys!"

"Yeah…Long story."

"For another time," Annabeth proposed.

She glanced up at the darkening sky. It was going to rain. Great, she mumbled in her head. She gathered the berries and got up to her feet.

"Come on Avatar," she smiled. "It's going to rain. We better get going."

"I like you Annabeth,' he smiled, floating on his ball of air.

Her heart soared as the little boy muttered that. Her heart reached out for him as she first hand witnessed someone going through that at the same age.

"I like you too Aang, You're a good kid," she smiled, leading him though the woods. "And I believe it, you know?"

"Believe what?"

"I don't know from what, or what's going on, But I believe you can do it. You can save the world."

And she did.

If she could do it back then, so could he. He had the potential and the determination. He might have been scared back then but he needn't be now.

Annabeth didn't know what it meant to be the Avatar other than the fact that he can control all elements, like Sokka told her. She glanced back at Aang. Sure this saving the world thing was important, but she hoped he could take it. A new side of Annabeth opened up and she vowed, vowed to herself that she, Annabeth Chase, as powerless as she was right now, would make sure Aang would make it through. Because he wasn't just the Avatar.

He was a twelve year old boy. He was Aang and he deserved a bit of normal just as much as anyone.

They both did.

* * *

><p>Katara was worried. Sokka still hadn't shown up, Leo Valdez was missing and Zuko was gone too.<p>

Why were they taking so long? What if something bad had happened to them?

Katara sighed and shook her head, trying to shake the negative thoughts out of her mind as well. She glanced up at the short earth bender in front of her who was shaking her head sadly.

"They're no where to be seen," she sighed. "And I don't mean that as a joke."

The water bender yelled out in frustration while her fingers bunched up in her hair. She pulled at her brown cascading locks and began pacing in circles. Noises interrupted her and she turned sharply to see a worried Percy and a defeated looking Aang.

"Katara?" Aang questioned in a hushed tone. "What if the fire nation got them?"

It was at times like these when Katara was reminded that Aang was only twelve. She opened her mouth then shut it again, the thought of the fire nation having her brother sickening her.

"They're a strong bunch, Aang. They can handle themselves. There's Zuko, he knows his way inside out, and the fire nation is no match for him. The there is Leo, he might be new here, but he's got some tricks up his sleeve. And Sokka, don't get me started on Sokka. Even though I've only known him for a few days, trust me when I say that I _know_ he can handle himself."

Katara turned to face the new and assuring voice. It was Annabeth. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders and curled ever so slightly and the light danced through the spaces and lit up her face. Her eyes shone like a thousand diamonds and Katara felt safe. She felt like she could just fall asleep and somehow Annabeth would be able to keep all the bad guys away.

"He's…He's like me. He might be powerless but he isn't helpless," she smiled slightly.

Aang visibly relaxed, "I'll start a search with Toph again."

"How do you know that?" Katara blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Know what?" Percy answered for his girlfriend.

"Know that they're safe? Know that they are fine?"

Annabeth gulped and worry masked her face.

"Listen Katara, I've been on this world for a long time. I know what bad days look like. But I also know that there is no rainbow without rain. They'll be fine because they are warriors. And warriors are born for this, they train for this. For hard days and bad days, they train for the rain. I'm a warrior. I know," she said, out of breath.

"It's been days," the water bender sighed. "It feels like years."

There was a strange rustling in the leaves behind them and Katara immediately fell into her bending stance. Water whips rose quickly from the pouches to her side. Percy, too, adopted his warrior stance and his pen flipped out majestically into Riptide. Annabeth unsheathed her dagger and crouched while behind her Toph and Aang readied themselves. The leaves rustled again till out of the darkness a figure sprang out and it's arms linked around Katara's neck, taking her down to the floor. The water bender's scream of horror pieced through the air and before Annabeth or Percy or anyone could even move a voice broke through;

"KATARA I'VE MISSED YOU!"

"So….Sokka?" Katara wiped a stray tear from her eye. "Where…where were you?"

"Oh god, Katara," Sokka said, standing up and helping his sister to her feet.

There was more rustling and Leo and Zuko burst out looking defeated and dead. Percy threw himself at Leo, yelling out the kid's name in both frustration and joy. Annabeth grinned toothily and hugged her friend.

"SOKKA!" Toph grinned. "So nice to see you."

"So nice to see…hey wait!" the boy gasped.

Toph cackled but was cut short by some more ruffling. All head snapped towards the darkness of the forest and Katara squinted into the black void.

"Are we expecting company?" Katara asked rhetorically.

"Um…yes," Sokka winced.

"WHAT?"

Out of the bushes _she_ emerged, her short brown hair and grim expression bringing back lost memories. Her blue eyes shone with sadness and it was strange seeing her without all of her white makeup. She wore red clothes, but not the typical fire nation clothing.

Prison clothes.

Katara gasped.

"Suki?" she asked slowly.

The mentioned girl waved slowly, unsure of whether she was welcome here. Katara slowly approached the girl, studying her carefully. Katara's feet moved over the ground fast as she outstretched her arms and looped them around the earth bender's waist. A single tear escaped as Suki pulled Katara closer, hugging her with all she had.

"Sokka, what have you been up to?" Katara wiped her cheeks.

"Well you see me and Zuko, and Leo, went to Boiling Rock to save dad. And we found Suki and well we couldn't save dad because, well, a whole lot of reasons. Blah Blah. Long story, gory details and in the end we came back here and we didn't tell you because well, you'd try to stop us and before you ask, yes, dada was in boiling rock don't ask why," Sokka panted. "Any questions?"

Leo raised his hand attentively.

"No? Good." The non bender plopped down on the soft grass.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? YOU WENT OT BOILING ROCK? A HIGH SECURITY PRISON? WHAT THE HELL SOKKA!" Katara yelled, unable to hold it back. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT-WAIT, DON'T ANSWER THAT. I MEAN, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? You're all I have. All I have left of a family. Sokka you're-"

"Listen," Zuko interrupted, his dark and low voice sending chills down Katara's spine. "There's something I heard. Something strange."

"Where'd you here this?" Katara frowned, annoyed with him for interrupting.

"Back in Boiling Rock, I over heard some guards talking to each other."

"Oh," Katara scoffed then her tone changed into a sneer, "It's just fire nation gossip."

"Call it what you want, water peasant, but it is news and it's a lead. If you don't want to hear it then you are free to go. I wasn't talking to you anyway," Zuko snapped.

Aang stepped forward to where Sokka and Leo were now sitting. He glanced down at the awkward Suki who slowly started to lower herself beside Sokka.

"Just let him say it, then we can decide weather we want to believe the gossip or not," the Avatar stood between the two fuming benders like the mediator he was.

"Fine," Katara huffed. "Get on with it Sparky."

Zuko winced at the childish and annoying nickname but didn't give too much away. The nickname did bother him, but he knew Katara would find joy in watching him suffer.

"There's a prisoner in Boiling Rock, but they plan to take him to the Fire Palace. To Azula. Apparently she wants him there," he looked at his friends faces then sighed. "The strange part; he's an air bender."

At this Sokka and Suki sprang to their feet and the commotion began. Katara yelling in confusion to Zuko while Aang stood paralyzed in a state of shock and Sokka and Suki tried to reason with Katara. Toph was in the middle of all of it, silently contemplating to herself. Everyone buzzed around Aang, held Aang and gripped his shoulder. They yelled at Zuko and Katara and soon enough, Percy grew tired of just sitting there and not knowing what the hell was going on.

"HEY!" Percy's loud and commanding voice rang above the noise of the commotion. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Katara sighed and plopped down to the floor. She looked up expectantly at her brother who nodded slowly.

"The Avatar, it works like this. Every time the present Avatar dies another is reborn in a different tribe. But it's not just any random tribe. There is a pattern. And hundred years ago it was the air nomads," at that he pointed to Aang. "The fire nation was scared, they wanted full control over all nations and tribes but knew it was impossible to do so with the Avatar alive. Because rightfully, the Avatar has power over all. So they went to the air temples, and to put it shortly, they murdered all the air nomads, in hope that they had eliminated the Avatar too. But Aang had left long ago and hid himself in a ball of ice."

There was silence.

"Aang is the last air bender," Annabeth gasped.

"Or so we thought," Toph spoke up.

"That's not all," Zuko sighed. "The air bender, it's stranger than you thought. The air bender is also a fire bender."

"What?" Sokka groaned. "Okay. Now you're making this up. This is ridiculous."

"There's more."

"Really? Now is there?" Toph wined.

"Yes. The boy bends lightning."

The words shocked every fiber of Annabeth's being. The commotion began again but she stayed silent, searching till her eyes locked with Leo's. And at that she knew she was right.

This was no fire bending air bender.

"Jason," she whispered, almost a cry for help to the gods.

If they even existed anymore.

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><p><strong>This chapter was <em>soooo<em> hard to write. I hope it was good enough. Who expected Suki?**

**Who's happy i explained the Jason situation?**

**Who gets what's happening more than they did at the first chapter? *inserts laughing crying face***

**So, i know things are different from the show BUT it is a fan fic and I HAD to change and twist it around. **

**Reviews are welcome, follows and faves are appreciated.**

**Personal news; I watched Step up five. *whoops* the dance was awesome, though i miss Luke from Step Up Three. **

**Till next time my lovelies,**

**XoXo**

**Oblivionxx**

**P.S; your motivation and understanding through the reviews are touching and helpful and really made me happy. I've PMed most of you with misunderstandings, troubles and anything really. Either that or I explained it before the chapter. I love you all my motivators. (MOTAvator anyone?)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm BACK! sooo sorry for disappearing so suddenly (like Percy in The Lost Hero :0) but i'm here with an update i hope y'all will love :P**

**Disclaimer: rights still belong to their respective owners- namely, Nick and Rick xP by which i mean Nickelodeon and Rick Riordan**

**(see how they rhyme so beautifully?)**

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><p>'Who's Jason?' Sokka asked, testing the name tentatively.<p>

He didn't fail to notice the sudden uneasy silence in the room. The demigods had frozen in place and were sporting deathly pale glares at the floor in what could only be described as despair.

'Who's Jason?' Aang asked softly from his corner.

Annabeth looked up and sniffed slightly. 'He's the friend we mentioned who stayed back to fight those soldiers.'

There was a collective 'oh' around the room.

Even Zuko couldn't contain his look of surprise.

'He's in prison you say?' Percy choked out uneasily.

Leo nodded warily. 'He got himself caught man...for US. Damn, we've been chilling here and all this time Jason was rotting in a filthy fire nation cell!'

'We have to save him!' Annabeth exclaimed decisively.

'You haven't seen this prison, Annie,' Leo murmured quietly. 'It's the real deal. If we had my tech it would be easy- but we don't.'

'You saved HER!' the blonde snapped, gesturing towards Suki aggressively.

Sokka moved to stand before the Kyoshi warrior protectively. 'It's not the same,' he said. 'Your friend is in a high security lockdown in a high security prison- what does that tell you?'

'That we have to break in again,' Annabeth growled, curling her fingers into fists.

Percy laid a calming hand on her shoulder.

'We'll save him, Wise Girl,' he said softly. 'But not today. Not like this.'

She relaxed into him and sighed heavily.

'Plus they're sending him to this fire palace,' Percy noted. 'We have a better chance of saving him while he's on the go.'

'Since when did you brush up on tactics, Seaweed Brain?' the blonde asked skeptically, giving him a friendly shove in the side.

'The gods grace us,' her boyfriend mumbled with a wince.

'You mean my mom,' Annabeth scowled.

Sokka didn't understand their banter but there was something bigger that needed explaining.

'This Jason,' he ventured. 'He's an airbender?'

The moment the words left his lips, he saw that the avatar had had the same question on his mind. Aang shifted uneasily in the corner and fussed with a piece of stray lint on his clothes. Percy cleared his throat.

'We're not benders,' he clarified for the umpteenth time. 'We're demigods- children of gods- half god, half mortal. Sometimes we bear traits of our godly parents. Annabeth is like her mother Athena- goddess of wisdom and strategy. Me, I'm like my dad Poseidon. He's the god of the sea- that's why I can control water.'

'And Jason?' Katara asked quietly.

'His father is Zeus- god of the skies. He's the Big Z- the god in charge of everyone, sorta. He's got this massive lighting bolt that's his favorite weapon. One time i was accused of stealing it and we had this huge quest- yeah that's a whole other story. But that's why Jason can control air, and lightning if he tries really hard. He's not an airbending fire bender or whatever.'

'And shouldn't fire benders bend fire?' Annabeth asked with a snort.

Zuko rolled his eyes discreetly.

'Its a branch of the fire element,' he explained brusquely. 'And we're not pulling another rescue mission until Sozin's Comet is over and we've won the war.'

With that, he swept from the room and stalked away into the temple.

Katara fumed. 'He had no right to say that,' she grumbled.

Toph clucked to herself. 'He doesn't want anyone getting hurt, Sugar Queen. Calm your face. He saved Suki, yeah? He just wants to help Aang. I'll go get him; he's probably sulking in his room.'

'No I'll get him.'

Everyone stared at Katara.

The waterbender looked stricken. She glared at the floor angrily as if it had provoked her to saying those words but soon swallowed her pride and looked up.

'He needs to get over his stupid honour-ego. I'll get him. Stop looking at me like that... ugh. I'm just going to kick some sense into him.'

She stormed out of the room furiously, but not before shooting Suki a small smile as a greeting, accompanied with a wave.

The Kyoshi warrior waved back.

'What did he mean we can't rescue our friend until a comet comes?' Leo asked.

Sokka took a breath to explain.

'We don't need their help, Valdez,' Annabeth snapped before Sokka could say a word. 'We'll do it on our own.'

The water tribesman frowned.

'Ahem. Sozin's comet marks the day Firelord Ozai's massive end-of-the-world showdown happens. That's what we're training for. That's what Aang has to save us all from Firelord Ozai's terror.'

'And why can't we do anything till then?' Leo asked, still considerably baffled.

Sokka rolled his eyes, but it was clear he liked explaining things.

'The comet's arrival means all firebenders will be at their peak. They'll be at their strongest so we'll have to be SUPER KICKASS to beat them. I guess Zuko doesn't want to take risks before the big showdown.'

'Why's he so serious?' Annabeth groused.

'Hey,' Toph snapped defensively. 'It's not everyday you leave your nation and family to join a rag tag team to defeat your father!'

Annabeth froze.

'Zuko's a PRINCE?!' Percy whispered, his eyes glossing over. 'Wow.'

Leo nodded and brushed his shoulders. 'Yeah man. Old news.'

'He's the son of the man you're trying to kill?' Annabeth said slowly. 'This is so much more dramatic than I expected.'

'He's a changed man,' Toph offered casually.

'He's royalty!' Percy near squealed.

Annabeth shook her head with a heavy sigh. 'We have to find our friend, Sokka,' she implored.

The tribesman shifted uncomfortably. He looked to Suki and then to Toph.

'I can't say anything for the group,' he said finally. 'We'll discuss this over dinner.'

Waving a weary hand he tugged the Kyoshi warrior further into the temple and disappeared from sight. Annabeth realized with a startled gasp that they'd just returned from a prison break and reached over to slap Leo soundly across the chest.

'Sweet gods of the skies above, ANNABETH!' the scrawny boy shrieked.

'That was for going on a stupid mission without telling us,' she groused, glaring daggers at the technician extraordinaire.

He chuckled evasively and tossed his curly mane out of his eyes. 'Don't tell me you don't want to know the lay of the prison.'

Annabeth stood stoically with her head turned away. Leo shifted to face Percy conspiratorially and wiggled his eyebrows.

'So, Boiling Rock is the most high security prison around here, alright,' he began, exaggerating to make his voice sound eager. 'It's got these sheer massive walls that tower into the sky with no footholds whatsoever, and I think its part volcano...'

It wasn't long until the blond demigod had broken into their discussion rudely and forced Leo to retell every detail of his adventure, including as much information of the architectural wonder that was Boiling Rock.

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><p>Katara didn't find Zuko in his room. She didn't find him in the alcove where they usually ate their meals and she didn't find him where he usually trained and meditated. She strolled around the temple at a leisurely pace, almost having given up, when she felt a small burden settle on her shoulders.<p>

Sozin's comet was nearing.

Of course it neared with every day that had passed for the last month- but it felt even more dreadful when she thought of it now. It had always seemed so faraway- something they apprehended but had always been too far in the future to fully fear. Now it all seemed so real.

She gulped nervously. And they had just settled down into a peaceful routine. Why did the spirits hate them so? She had almost nurtured a liking to playing house in the air temple- but that was all it was. A game. This was not what mattered. Living in peace here in hiding didn't nullify the threat. Every time she felt her traitorous mind wish she could live here forever, she reminded herself that forever wouldn't last very long if Ozai won. They _had_ to defeat the Firelord- all of them together, as a team.

This was their destiny. It would do her good to embrace it.

Startled, she wondered when she had begun accepting Zuko as a part of her future, but then decided against thinking too hard about it. Musing about the elusive firebender always ended up with her sporting a massive headache. He was harder to read than Toph, she cried in her mind. And that was saying something. That earthbender was as transparent as granite.

She felt her breathing go erratic and decided against thinking at all. The more she wondered, the more she panicked.

_What if they all died?_

The thought leapt to her mind, unbidden.

Squealing in discomfort, she pelted down the corridors in search of her safe spot.

As she thundered down the hallways, taking turn after turn, she tried to think of happier times. The small enclosure she'd found in the temple always helped her achieve just that. The sound flowing water from the fountain in the room she'd discovered always soothed her and reminded her of home. The large emerald pool of water there soothed her pent up tension and calmed her muscles more than she cared to admit.

Of course she'd never tell anyone what she'd found. It was a sweet haven- a small room enclosed in stone, that stayed cool throughout the hottest of days and housed a lovely deep pool of water that shimmered just the right shade of green. The ceiling arched high, but not too high- just enough to echo her voice somberly. The ivy growing along one wall and the other fauna circling the pool made it rather splendid- but in all honesty all she ever wanted to do when she saw them was to rip them out by the roots and pounce on them till every petal lay crushed beneath her feet.

Flowers reminded her of love and love reminded her of Jet and Jet reminded her of why she hated flowers.

In this cruel cycle of life, Katara had never hated anything more. Except for the Fire Nation of course, but that was something that had its roots in something far deeper than petty hatred.

She bolted down a secluded corridor and burst into the room she'd held dear to herself for the time they'd been hiding in the temple. The coolness of the room struck her immediately and it took all she could to not jump in the pool and sink to the bottom, fully clothed.

She jumped into the pool and sunk to the bottom, fully clothed.

The water rushed around her lithe frame and poured in through her sleeves and collar. Her bindings covered most of her, but the skin left bare by the cloth froze at the first contact with the water. She felt goosebumps prickle at her skin and nearly let out a sigh of pleasure under water. Her hair floated lazily around her face, and even though she had her eyes screwed shut, she felt completely at peace.

At least until she let her eyes flutter open and was faced with a startled pair of golden orbs that glared dangerously through the murky, emerald water and shocked her right out of the pool.

She screamed before she surfaced, her lungs burning with swallowed water and her mind burning with the image seared behind her eyelids.

Guys stripped down to almost nothing, and at such close quarters, didn't bode well in her head.

'What the hell are _you_ doing here?!' she shrieked; the nervousness apparent in her shaking voice.

The other occupant of the pool surfaced after she'd spoken, but somehow had anticipated her question and answered irritably.

'I could ask you the same thing!'

'No you can't,' Katara stuttered, clutching her hands to her chest even though she was entirely clothed. 'This is _my _room!'

'Yeah and this is my temple,' the other snorted sarcastically.

'Zuko,' she warned, stepping closer aggressively before belatedly remembering his state of semi-nudity.

'What?' he snapped.

'Put some clothes on.'

'No, I'm swimming.'

'You're not.'

'So?'

'Just do it.'

'You can't order me around, peasant! I'm not the avatar- I don't follow you adoringly with a crush the size of an armadillo-bear!'

'How dare you!'

'Everyone knows!'

Katara stuttered into silence.

The firebender smirked.

'Put on a shirt.'

'I'm always shirtless.'

'Just put on some goddamn clothes!'

'No. I'm wearing pants.'

And with that he sank down to the depths of the pool and stayed there.

Katara shifted uneasily and shot wary glances at the surface of the water, as if expecting him to burst out and fire bend at her any moment. Maybe he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to drag her down under and drown her. She hopped from leg to leg, hoping to throw him off. After a while of idiotic skipping, she realized that he had just submerged himself in _her_ element and was basically defenseless!

The thought didn't come with the usual crow of victory like it used to. Now she just stared at the water's face glumly. He was _defenseless_. Zuko, the stupid bigoted fire prince, was _defenseless._ He knew she would kill him at first chance and yet had _chosen_ to sink to the bottom of a pool of _water_.

He _trusted _her!

She panicked.

Maybe he was suicidal, her mind offered lamely. A few minutes later she found that excuse startlingly accurate for it had been nearly five minutes and a half and Zuko had yet to re-emerge. Without rethinking her actions, Katara plunged into the water and let her weight drag her to the bottom, occasionally bending the element to allow her quick descent.

Zuko sat cross-legged at the very bottom, seated snugly against the stone floor with his eyes screwed shut and his hands in his lap. Ever so often a bubble of air would escape his lips and make its way to the surface- yet he remained in place.

_What is he doing_, she wondered. He was the worse case of suicide she'd ever seen.

He looked deathly pale in the greenish waters, and his dark hair seemed ominous as it floated over his head. His face seemed clearer, now finally free from the curtain that was his shaggy, unkempt hair. She wondered when he'd grown so carefree so as to ignore his facial features.

Well, at least he shaved, she thought, thinking back to when Sokka had sported a fake moustache back in the fire nation. She giggled carefully in her head. No point swallowing water again.

Zuko shifted before her and his eyes flashed open angrily. She could see- no, _feel_- the irritation rolling off him in waves. Before he could summon fire underwater (she was in no place to undermine him- after all he _had_ travelled the world after them so devotedly) she propelled herself to the surface and swam hastily to the shallower end of the body of water.

The fire prince soon erupted to the surface, shaking the water out of his eyes and glaring daggers at her all at the same time.

He looked quite ridiculous – drenched and miserable- but she decided to refrain from laughing.

'Would you _mind_?' he snapped, calling from his end of the pool.

'What did I do now?' she asked, refraining from adding a sarcastic '_your highness_' to the end of her question.

'You interrupted my thinking!' he shouted back.

'I did no such thing,' she defended herself, hotly.

'Your aura is disturbing, please leave,' he said with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

She snorted derisively. 'Don't kid yourself, Zuko. Drowning isn't the same as thinking.'

'Well then it's a good thing I wasn't doing the former,' he groused.

'Is it really?' she joked with a straight face.

Zuko's glare darkened.

The waterbender squirmed under his furious glare and breathed a sigh of relief as he moved to disappear under the water.

'Why can't you meditate like a normal person?' she asked before she could stop herself.

Zuko stiffened. 'I'm not normal,' he answered predictably, popping back up.

Katara snorted.

'Stop doing that, you sound like a pig,' the fire bender sighed.

'Then stop drowning yourself,' she cried exasperatedly.

'That's how I think! It helps me clear my mind!' Zuko explained, throwing his arms into the air dramatically.

He treaded water as he spoke to her from the deep end of the stone pool and she couldn't help but tug at the water around his feet and sink him a little.

'Did that help?' she asked innocently, batting her eyes his way as he resurfaced with a splutter.

'Stopdoingthat!' he spat in a panicked voice.

Katara just chuckled and freed him from the clutches of her water.

After a few moments of breathless silence she spoke again.

'We have to help their friend you know,' she whispered, half expecting him to electrocute her to the next century.

Zuko shook his head gloomily and ran a hand through his hair as he waded towards the shallows. 'I know,' he conceded grumpily.

'You… what?' Katara stammered.

'If he was your brother, we'd have gone back for him. And especially with all that 'firebending airbender' nonsense he's got going for him, only La knows what Azula might do to him.'

Katara stiffened at the sound of his sister's name and sunk low into the water. 'She'll kill him.'

'Or weaponize him,' Zuko offered, equally disgruntled.

Katara shot him a glare.

'What?' he snapped, defensively. 'I know how she thinks. And don't pretend you don't either.'

Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, Katara envisioned a dashing raven-haired earthbender.

'The Dai Li are well known for their hypnosis tactics,' Zuko continued.

The waterbender shook her head. 'I can't believe this is all becoming real.'

She didn't expect him to understand her musings and she didn't think he did, judging by the flash of perplexion in his eyes.

Thankfully though, he stayed silent and let her vent.

'We're all going to have to march out there and _fight_. Like really fight- kill people maybe. I don't think I'm ready,' Katara admitted. 'I don't think Aang's ready and I don't think you are.'

Zuko flinched at his mention and looked away. 'We'll never be ready,' he offered softly.

'I suppose so,' the water bender sighed.

She relaxed against the wall of stone behind her and let her head loll back against the ledge. She stared at the ceiling for a long while, before turning to glance at the bender beside her. He stared straight ahead, into the depths of the water, his eyes frowning as he thought.

From where she sat, she could only see the unscarred side of his face and it threw her a little. If it wasn't for the horrendous bruise that graced his left cheek and eyebrow, Prince Zuko would have been a beautiful thing. She took no shame in admitting that much. But his scar had been what had marked him as their enemy all those months ago. That, and his ugly topknot/ponytail. Seeing him without his scar was unnerving to say the least. Katara decided she didn't like flawlessly-perfect-porcelain-figure Zuko.

Not that she liked Zuko anyway.

'Quit staring at me,' Zuko grunted.

'Stop doing that, you sound like a pig,' Katara shot back, before she could stop herself.

She watched in horror as Zuko's lips twitched involuntarily into as ghost smile and he choked on something that sounded like a chuckle. The firebender tensed and, after a few heart beats, bolted from the water without so much as a retort in retaliation.

Katara sunk low into the water and berated herself for her slip-up. This one was on her, she admitted sheepishly.

Had she honestly quoted him… to him?! What were they? Friends?

She resisted the urge to heave and dunked her head beneath the surface of the cool, green pool.

Dinner was awkward and stuffy but Sokka couldn't care less. As long as everyone didn't hog the veal. He eyed the dish with eyes akin to a vulture's and licked his lips impatiently. Unfortunately, he'd already had four helpings of the stew and wasn't sure if he could sneak a fifth as inconspicuously as before. Plus, he was pretty convinced Zuko had seen him sneak all _four helpings_. The jerkbender was always so _attentive_.

_Big word, Sokka_, he complimented himself.

He eyed the firebender warily. Something smelled fishy and it wasn't the gloopy seaweed thing Aang had made- although that stank too. Katara was acting all stiff and cranky around them all and Zuko had slipped into his You-Lowly-Peasants mode that Sokka frankly found very irritating. Slurping on the final dregs of his stew, the water tribesman glanced around the group.

Suki had left his ever-present embrace to converse with the Annabeth girl. They were talking excitedly over the _dynamics_ of the Kyoshi warrior's fans and their veal stew sat neglected to a side, cooling with every second that passed.

Sokka wished he could steal their bowls of stew and eat it himself. Eventually, after a few desperate minutes of wishful thinking, he turned to eye Percy and Aang as they animatedly discussed _cuddly awesome animal friends. _While Appa had impressed them all at first introduction, Percy seemed the most enthusiastic thus far. Even Toph hadn't been able to fake this much enthusiasm. He nearly jumped with joy when Aang offered to let him ride the sky bison sometime in the near future. Katara had quickly put an end to that deal though. No one was to leave the temple alone and especially not on Appa. Because, she'd reasoned, what was a worse signal than sky bison stench? Sokka had answered that Katara's incessant yelling was by far more possible to attract any form of enemy, but his sister didn't seem to see the truth in that. Percy was now talking to Aang about his _Pegasus-_ which apparently was a flying horse, whatever that was. It wasn't an _ostrich-horse_ and it wasn't a _messenger-bird_ so Sokka didn't pay it much attention. Although the name 'Blackjack' was much more impressive than Hawky, he had to admit.

His lack creativity concerning the messenger Hawk had depressed him more than he'd expected.

His attention was demanded by the stout earthbender at that very moment, as she tottered over to him and forced the bowl of stew out of his clutches.

'Hey!' Sokka exclaimed. 'My precious!'

Leo McShizzle-man laughed at that.

'Quit being such a sourpuss I can _feel _your pathetic vibes and it's getting old _so fast_,' Toph snapped, slurping on the veal stew.

Sokka groused as he watched her down the last of his meal. 'I'm not grumpy- Sparky's grumpy.'

'Yeah I'm going to deal with him later,' Toph shrugged. 'Although I don't think that would do much good.'

The tribesman watched her suspiciously. 'What's that supposed to mean?' he demanded. 'You always kick sense into him.'

Toph snickered and Sokka swore he saw a gleam of mischief in her glazed eyes. 'Ask Katara,' she said simply, before earthbending the ground beneath her feet to catapult her straight in between Aang and Percy.

'Come on Twinkletoes,' she said, cuffing Aang around the forehead. 'Let's get some bending done before sleepy time.'

'Why'd you hit my face?' Aang asked, perturbed, as he followed her out.

The earthbending master cackled. 'Grow taller already! I thought that was your shoulder!'

Sokka shook his head as they went and moved to help Katara clear away the dinner. As per usual, his sister grabbed all the work from them and busied herself in the kitchen area till late in the night. Sokka had the nagging feeling she was hiding from something but couldn't put a finger on what.

What a lie, of course he could. Zuko was what wrong- but he couldn't put a finger on why. Toph had planted a seedling of curiosity in him that now begged to be delved further into, but Sokka decided it would have to wait. Sliding his arm around Suki's shoulders, he sauntered towards his room.

'I see what you're doing mister,' the warrior chuckled, playfully jabbing him in the ribs.

'Pretend you don't?' Sokka asked hopefully, ducking into his bedroom.

Suki laughed delightfully and let him tackle her onto the sleeping mat. 'I promised Katara I'd spend time with her.'

Sokka frowned. 'Even our night-time-cuddly-time?'

'Our _what_ now?' Suki giggled.

'I just saved you, Suki, please stay,' Sokka pleaded, widening his eyes as far as they could go.

'Don't give me the constipated baby seal look,' Suki admonished, before hugging him tightly and stepping out of the room.

'Katara needs some girl time, I think,' she said softly.

Sokka's face darkened. 'I knew something was up.'

Suki laughed nervously. 'Yeah, hanging around you crazy boys would've done something wrong alright.'

'Suki,' the water tribesman warned.

The Kyoshi warrior shook her head as she backed out of the room, smiling wryly as she went. 'Fine Sokka,' she conceded. 'You can come- we're _only_ going to be talking about how long Katara's hair has grown and how luscious it is, and how steady her moon cycle is coming along- an oh, of _course_! I've got to tell her about this gorgeous guy I ran into in Boiling Rock- why, his muscles were legendary-'

Sokka paled as he watched Suki's mind flutter into the abyss he'd named 'girl world', and without even pausing to take in the implications inferred by this so called 'gorgeous inmate', the tribesman shoved the warrior right out of his room and hastily dove into his sleeping roll in hopes of chasing away the nightmares her words had induced.

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><p>AN: well here i am... returned from the hiatus i failed to announce :/ sorry about that :P just a note- most of this was done in collaboration with my sister. i've been really busy with school this year and barely had nay spare time. so my sister offered to help flesh this baby out. hope you laaiiiike.

r&r for more updatess!


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